Chairman: Parish fire district purchase of land reported to legislative auditor

Chairman Gabriel Beadle informed members of the St. Mary Parish Council of a land acquisition by a fire district Wednesday at the council’s regular meeting.
“Fire Protection District No. 3, that’s the Amelia fire district, purchased some property,” Beadle said, alerted by citizens. “This property was purchased in 2014 for $470,175. There was no appraisal that was done on the property before the purchase. That was something that seemed…uneasy with various members of the council as well as our legal advisor.”
Beadle said an appraisal was ordered, based on 2014 value, and it was returned at $131,900.
“For a property that was paid for at $470,000,” Beadle said.
Even present day, the property would appraise at $179,000, he said, citing the need for consolidation of boards and commissions, sometimes with resistance. “We have two boards who have passed resolutions that they don’t want to be part of our consolidation orders,” Beadle said.
The matter has been reported to the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s office, the chairman said. “This council has started hearing different things, and we have changed all the members on that board. None of them were members of the board at the purchase of this property. This is poor management of public funding, and if that’s the case, we might as well just throw money away, or just put it in the pockets of people we just like.”
Parish President David Hanagriff said the purpose of the purchase was for a fire training facility.
Legal counsel Eric Duplantis verified that the incident has been forwarded to the legislative auditor.
The funding came from general funds of the district, generated by taxpayers. The millage rate is 10 mills in that district, Chief Administrative Officer Henry “Bo” LaGrange said.
“We’re plugging in 10 mills in a community like that and it’s being wasted, while we’re struggling at the other end of the parish,” Councilman Craig Mathews said.
In other business:
—LaGrange reported that Burlington Northern Railroad intends to close three railroad crossings in Baldwin. An open-house meeting on those closings will be held July 24 from 5-7 p.m. at the Baldwin Community Center. The crossings are at Lockley, Orphan’s Home Road and Havens streets.
—Ordinances were introduced amending the speed limit on Irish Bend Road from the Sterling Bridge Road to Blackburn Curve to 30 mph; changing the council meeting dates and times to the first and third Thursdays of the month at 6 p.m.
—An ordinance was approved for a lease purchase agreement for a phone system at the courthouse.